Book Description

Winner of the 1999 Herskovits Award by the African Studies Association. This boldly critical book explores the contradiction of massive genocide in a country considered by Western aid agencies to be a model of development. Focusing on the 1990s dynamics of militarization and polarization that led to genocide, Uvin reveals how aid enterprises reacted, or failed to react, to those dynamics. He goes on to discuss the profound structural basis upon which the genocidal edifice was built. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Was the development industry complicit?
Uvin's argument is not that aid workers in Rwanda participated in the genocide of 1994, nor even that they were accomplices in it. Rather, "AIDING VIOLENCE" contends that the development business--by the very nature of its mission--contributed to a state of severe inequity and "structural violence" that over many decades had made Rwanda fertile ground for widespread ethnic hatred leading to massive bloodshed.

It is the apolitical nature of aid, the author tells us, that plays into the hands of the killers and their ringleaders. The book is reminiscent of Ferguson's "ANTI-POLITICS MACHINE" in this way. Where Uvin's contribution is greatest is his ability to situate this discussion about the ramifications of "development" in the Rwandan context, with ample documentary support for his conclusions. He also isn't so naive as to think that the Rwandan genocide was somehow foisted on a passive population by an overpoweringly evil elite. Sure, they were evil, but the hundreds of thousands of Rwandans who took part in the violence had more reason to do so than simply because their leaders told them to.

This book will likely give you some serious doubts about the entire concept of development and just what it means anyway in a world rife with turmoil, inequality and discrimination. And that is precisely what Uvin intended it to do. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A gritty, realistic look at modern Cuba
All I can say is Wow! I'm blown away. This is a disillusioning book on life in modern Cuba that tells it exactly like it is. It's raw, engaging, and daringly unbiased in its analysis. Forget everything you've ever heard or read about Cuba. This one undermines it all, and does so with incredible detail. I felt like I was right there in Havana, hanging out with the Buena Vista Social Club, buying rice in the black market, and meeting the people in the book face to face. As a fine arts professor and Latin arts trader, I've been to Cuba four times in the past year. I have a voracious appetite for anything Cuban. However, nothing has managed to spin my head around like this book. I couldn't put it down, and many things I thought I understood about Cuba have been shattered. I hate you Corbett!

Lifting the veil
Anyone who harbors romantic notions about Fidel Castro's Cuba might be disturbed, perhaps even angered by Ben Corbett's book, for he shows very clearly how it is that the so-called Revolution is little more than an old-fashioned Latin American dictatorship hiding behind a veil of outworn platitudes. Anyone who has had to live there--not as a foreigner, but as a Cuban--will applaud this book, and recommend it with enthusiasm. Relying on his own experiences and on ordinary people that he met while living in Cuba, Corbett paints one of the most realistic portraits of life on that benighted island that have ever been published in America. Corbett convincingly argues that the economic strangulation of the Cuban people has been caused by the policies of Castro's oppressive regime rather than by the U.S. embargo. He does this by focusing on the details of daily life in present-day Cuba, and by highlighting the many ways in which individual initiative is crushed in the name of impossibly paradoxical utopian ideology. All of this is done with prose as spare as it is elegant. Corbett wears his heart on his sleeve, and in this case it is a very good thing, for he turns into an eloquent champion of human rights, lifting the veil on a ruthless dictatorship that has been masquerading as a humanitarian experiment for far too long. This should be required reading for anyone who is thinking of visiting Cuba or buying a Cuban cigar.

A book which NAILS the Cubano condition
I will make this brief. I spent a few months travelling in Cuba, doing my best to stay away from Castro's state sponsored tourist complexes so that I could experience the true face of Cuba.

This book captures that true face. In all it's glories, trials, and tribulations. In all its miracles. If you want to understand Cuba, and the conditions under which the average Cuban lives, you can do two things: go down there and spend a month living in the barrio, amongst the people, and you can read this book, in which Ben Corbett has already done this living for you.

Cuba: Good and Bad
I visited Cuba in March 1997 and have always been drawn back to books that allow me to vicariously revisit the country.

Ben Corbett's book manages to walk a fine line between an admiration for Cuba (especially her people) and often stern criticism of the Castro regime. It differs, therefore, from many other books about Cuba. Corbett is no Miami based Cuban exile with a chip on his shoulder but nor is he a naïve promoter of the Communist Party government. In short, Corbett has real credibility.

From another angle, Corbett is clearly no blow in visitor who, after a week or two in the country, regards himself as some sort of expert. Instead, Corbett has visited the country on a number of occasions and for considerable lengths of time in each case. He has immersed himself in the country from a variety of perspectives and has clearly travelled widely and met a host of individuals, many of whom he now counts as friends.

It seems to me that Corbett has a love for Cuba but a distinct distaste for the regime. Yet for all this, he has no axe to grind. Far too many critical Cuba commentators are allied with the exile communities in Florida. Unfortunately, for all the errors and flaws of the regime, its hasty end may well herald the return of the exiles and a still less than positive outcome. There may be no velvet revolution.

I recommend this book to all readers interested in Cuba and its future.

Por fin la verdad
Read this book, the best book written about Cuba. ... Read more

Book Description

A bold corporate and environmental history, Green Empire examines the intersection of one of the most ambitious players in Florida's real estate market with the state's last frontier--the quiet natural spaces of the Panhandle.

Since the Great Depression, the St. Joe Company (formerly the St. Joe Paper Company) has been Florida's largest landowner, a forestry and transportation conglomerate whose influence has been commensurate with its holdings. The company owns nearly one million acres, mainly in northwestern Florida, where undeveloped coastal and riverside landscapes boast some of the state's most scenic and ecologically diverse areas.

For 60 years, the company focused on growing trees, turning them into paper, and managing its ancillary businesses. In the late 1990s, the company shifted directions: it sold its paper mill, changed its name, and launched a concerted drive to turn its natural-resource assets into greater profits. Today the St. Joe Company is a critical and fiscally powerful force in the real-estate development of northwest Florida, with access to the most influential people in government. Poised to reshape the rural Panhandle, the company and its subsidiaries have the potential to permanently and drastically alter the landscape, environment, and economic foundation of the region.

Based on hundreds of sources--including company executives, board members, and investors as well as outside observers--this factual and balanced history describes the St. Joe Company from the days of its founders to the workings and dealings of its present-day heirs. For all readers concerned with land use and growth management, particularly those with an interest in Florida's fragile wildlife and natural resources, this book will generate important debate about an often-overlooked part of the state and will invite public scrutiny of its largest landowner. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Extremely well written and balanced
As an investor in residential rental property primarily in Destin, Florida I wanted to learn about the explosive growth in the Panama City Beach area. My research led me to a web site of West Bay County's growth plans and the tremendous influence of St Joe on the entire area. I wanted to learn more and was delighted to see that the Green Empire had recently been published. The book is extremely well written, and provides a balanced approach in addressing the economic, environmental and political issues involved in developing this area. The book is a textbook on environmental planning, political processes and macro econonomic issues, but a real "page turner" as well. It is in part a detective story as well as a primer for those interested in learning more about and participating in the dynamic growth of this new Florida frontier.

Green Empire is a great read
The authors of Green Empire have done the people of the Florida Panhandle a great service. This thoughful and engaging book offers insights about one of Florida's most powerful companies--the St. Joe Company--and the way developers achieve their ends. The authors have clearly done their research. The book is filled with interesting facts about the history of the development of northwest Florida, beginning at the turn of the century. The book also provides a look at the influencial people--Alfred DuPont and Ed Ball, in particular--behind this development. Anyone who has witnessed an area's natural beauty give way to urbanization and development will appreciate the work the authors put into this book to shed light on how this happens. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ... Read more

Book Description

China's relentless economic growth in the 1980s and 1990s heralded its emergence as a great power in world politics. As its economy expanded, China seemed poised to become the second-largest economy in the world. At the same time, it modernized its military and adopted a more assertive diplomatic posture. Many observers have begun to debate the international implications of China's rise. Some analysts argue that China will inevitably pose a threat to peace and security in East Asia. A few even predict a new cold war between Beijing and Washington. Others claim that a powerful China can remain benign. None believes that China can be ignored. The essays in this volume assess China's emerging capabilities and intentions, debate the impact that China will have on security in the Asia-Pacific region, and propose polices for the United States to adopt in its relations with China.

Contributors: Thomas J. Christensen, Erica Strecker Downs, Avery Goldstein, John Wilson Lewis, Xue Litai, Robert S. Ross, Phillip C. Saunders, Gerald Segal, David Shambaugh. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Expecations and Disappointment
Most of the authors regurgitate pretty much the same "cautious-optimism" material that currently dominates the China field. Among the authors, Christensen and Ross deliver their typically good arguments. But since the work brings little fresh to the table and its clear tilt (without much counter-arguments, other than self-hedging from the authors), I had to rate it poorly, given the intended audience... probably students seeking balanced viewpoints.

Solid material for anyone intersted in Chinese Foreign Polic
This collection of articles from International Security (an IR journal) has a good collection of solid articles about a topic of much dispute, the Rise of China. This is good material for a Chinese Foreign Policy class, although it maybe somewhat preoccupied with military affairs. ... Read more

Book Description

A classic in economics from the three-time New York Times best seller.Written during a period of acute economic stagnation in 1980, The Zero-Sum Society discusses the human implications of economic problem solving. Interpreting macroeconomics as a zero-sum game, Thurow proposes that the American economy will not solve its most trenchant problems-inflation, slow economic growth, the environment-until the political economy can support, in theory and in practice, the idea that certain members of society will have to bear the brunt of taxation and other government-sponsored economic actions. As relevant today as it was twenty years ago, The Zero-Sum Society offers a classic set of recommendations about the best way to balance government stewardship of the economy and the free-market aspirations of upwardly mobile Americans. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An observation
Having worked on Wall Street for 25 years, by and from experience I can assert that ANY economic behavior by any human does entail a marginal error toward/from the misinterpreted phrase "zero sum game.Simply research historic Federal Reserve monetary policy to understand this, let alone structured finance!
Prof. Thurow's point is that the US political economy, its citizens, and those "elites" who make its policy are asymetrically informed. Sooner or later, the US has to restructure its misapplication of redistributing wealth; hence the shock of the 70's, the long-term mess Regan has left; the stock bubble of the mid-90's; the current housing bubble.Another shock a la 1973 and 1978 might redirect this country's "elites'" thinking towards more long-term pragmatic lines.

Not just wrong... badly wrong.
Couldn't agree with the previous review. Even the title is wrong. The economy... any economy is NEVER a zero-sum game. Here is a quote from the author: "Can economic command significantly... accelerate the growth process? The remarkable performance of the Soviet Union suggests that it can... Today the Soviet Union is a country whose economic achievements bear comparison with those of the United States." That was in 1989, JUST BEFORE the Soviet system collapsed. How can anyone be more wrong? Unfortunately, these people teach our kids.

Proven Wrong
This book was a sensation when it first appeared in 1980.
But then something unexpected (by Thurow at least) happened.Ronald Reagan was elected President and ignited a period of spectacular economic growth, coupled with low inflation and high employment, that lasted through the next two administrations - thus proving Thurow totally wrong!
Why do publishers keep reprinting books that have been invalidated by history? Why not allow then to sink silently into the dustbin of failed theories where they belong?
As Charlie Chan once said: Theory like mist on eyeglasses. Obscures facts.

Eminently Readable, Hardly Revolutionary
This was one of the most readable non-fiction books I've ever come across.It's written in clear effective English and makes its point (mainly through repetition) very well.

Thurow has one basic idea - that the American economy was paralysed in the 1970s because of the variety of groups (upper-class versus lower-class, blacks versus whites, industrial versus agricultural etc.) with conflicting interests that made it impossible for the government to undertake effective policies.As such, this book seems pretty commonsensical and hardly revolutionary nor particularly enlightening.Thurow takes us through the various economic problems that the US faced at the time to show how this is the case.

This problem appears to be the combined flaw of democracy - that people have a say in how the country is run - although he didn't explore that; and capitalism - the doctrine of self-interest.The groups all want to protect themselves.This means that any change will inevitably be vetoed/subject to prolonged protest by at least one group - namely, the group that will have to suffer (by seeing their incomes decline) so that the rest of the economy can benefit.This shows up in the protection of inefficient industries such as steel and textiles, the unwillingness to impose strict income and price controls etc.In effect, the economy will continue to stay stagnant until certain groups are imposed on for the sake of everyone else.

He also makes the interesting case that inflation was not really a problem, backing this up with statistics that show that the average American's standard of living rose; and income differences didn't widen.Rather, it was a matter of perception and psychology. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If Michael Lewis (The New New Thing, Liar's Poker) or P.J. O'Rourke (Holidays in Hell, Parliament of Whores) had spent the 1990s in Moscow, they might have produced a book like Casino Moscow--a dizzying first-person account of the wild east and its shotgun wedding with capitalism. It begins with Matthew Brzezinski as a rookie reporter getting beaten and nearly killed by a pair of Ukrainian thugs;the rest of the book is a white-knuckle tour through a place where the line separating entrepreneurs and criminals is often impossible to discern. Brzezinski worked in the Moscow bureau of the Wall Street Journal. If his name sounds familiar, that's because he's the nephew of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter's national security advisor. He is an ideal guide: sometimes it takes a fish-out-of-water foreigner to see the things a jaded native cannot. (Comparing the author to Alexis de Tocqueville or Gunnar Myrdal is a stretch, but it's the same idea.) Brzezinski also writes with great humor and amazing panache. Describing the parking lot of a high-class bank, he writes that it "resembled a well-stocked Mercedes dealership that specialized only in armored, navy blue 600-series sedans, or shestotki, as the top-of-the-line models were affectionately known--as in 'My shestotka's just been blown up, can I borrow yours?'" Gangsters, prostitutes, and Western investors fill these pages, all of them coming to life courtesy of Brzezinski's narrative skill.

Despite the title, Casino Moscow isn't just about Moscow--some of the best sections cover other parts of Russia: "It was heartbreaking that St. Petersburg had been so mistreated. Yet even in its state of decay, I still preferred its shabby elegance to Moscow's new-money makeover. In St. Petersburg you lived for the past; Moscow lived only for the day." At the edge of Siberia, on the Pacific coast, is Vladivostok--"five time zones ahead of the Russian capital, but a decade behind." The book is a fast-paced adventure story--and a must for readers interested in Russia as well as fans of modern-day gonzo journalism. Brzezinski is a writer to watch. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Russia Lite
The book is entertaining, though glib and superficial. I've lived in Moscow for three years and Brzezinski's book sounds like so much standard ex-pat piffle: constant moaning about how it's not like back home, coupled with high-sounding moralizing, topped off by a mercenary drive to grab as much as possible from the place before bailing out. I have some doubts about the quality of Brzezinski's reportage, since he seems not to put himself out on much in-depth research. I thought it was particularly odd that he got most if not all of his information about Umar Djabrailov by reading Umar's own collection of press clippings while waiting for an interview. Actually, I'm dismayed to learn that the Wall Street Journal would appoint him one of its Moscow correspondents when his main financial training was watching "Bonfire of the Vanities" and reading "Liar's Poker". It casts doubt on the quality of the WSJ's reportage in general.

And I have to wonder about the quality of his analysis; how could anyone spend as much time in Russia as he did and not understand that Zhirinovsky is but a political clown propped up and used by the Kremlin to advance its own agenda? How can he summarily dismiss the U.S. policy towards Russia (too much support of Yeltsin) without discussing some of the alternatives? And how, oh how, could he not have known that Night Flight was a bordello before going in? Almost every visiting foreign businessman figures this out within 24 hours of arrival.

The book seems content with tossing out the types of cliched characters that will play well with the folks back at the Home Office but it doesn't break out of its limitations with any fresh insights. It's as though the book is setting the standard for a new, post-Cold War rhetoric ("those awful, thick-necked, thieving Russkies!"), but then maybe it's an inevitable tradition in his family (picking up where his uncle Zbigniew left off). Make no mistake, there are a lot of baddies in the upper reaches of power in Moscow, but the situation's a bit more complicated than as presented in this book. By not having distracted himself from his high-priced dinners and social circle of Bright Young Things, Brzezinski hasn't sweated enough to try to get below the surface of the current situation in Russia.

Red Whine
I've never felt compelled to throw a book away. Until this one.
A reporter for a widely respected newspaper, dropped into '90s Moscow's whirling clash of cultures, should be able to come away with quite a collection of stories. And, to be fair, Brzezinski has some humorous stuff, and some interesting tales, but they're buried among too much personal detritus. There is far too much about the author, his family ties (enough already about "Uncle Zbig!") and his resentment of all things Russian. I've never read a book with such a smug (yet whiny) protagonist.
He didn't much like Russians (and had a big chip on his shoulder throughout the book), and he had little use for the expat community. With all his complaining, I wondered throughout this book why Brzezinski agreed to go to Russia, then why he stayed there, then why he bothered to write about it.
There's a good book somewhere in the Russia of the 1990s. This isn't it.

Scared to death of Russia now?
Man, had I not been to Russia as many times already that I have...and I was getting read to leave and had read this book, I would be too scared to go!! Mr. Brzezinski's book is entertaining at best. It glances over some important parts in today's Russia. However, it is too damn moralistic and bemoans the same whining, bitching and complaining that 98% of all the expats living in Moscow complain about...it's not like home. Well, duh...

If you have been following news out of Russia, this book will add nothing new to your bank of knowledge. If you have never been to Russia and you are getting ready to go to Russia, don't let this book scare you away.

"Matthew's Misadventures in the New Eastern Europe"
"Matthew's Misadventures in the New Eastern Europe" is a more fitting title for this book. It is a rambling tale of a young reporter's experiences in Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Belorussia. It is by no means a comprehensive account of the region's transition from communism to--for the most part--crony capitalism and anarchy.
Casino Moscow does have some interesting anecdotes and men's locker room stories from this enthralling period of unprecedented change and transfer of wealth. However, the author often starts to ramble and goes off on tangents, thus the time period discussed is not always obvious. Another serious critique is that the book is quite superficial. Mr. Brzezinski does not delve too deeply into any topic and often fails to state his own conclusions as a good investigative reporter should. In addition he is not more perceptive than an average cognizant tourist. After living in Moscow for some time, he walked into nightspot, which, to his surprise, turned out to be a brothel. Mr. Brzezinski is a typical expatriate who fails to truly understand the local culture and people. He is constantly complaining either about the lack of western luxuries or the exuberant displays of wealth in the new Russia. At times I even sensed a tinge of resentment at missing out on this unprecedented "gold rush" where vast fortunes were made and lost overnight.
While trying to mix in morsels of humor, the author threw serious doubts on the credibility of the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Brzezinski, who was sent to Kiev to serve as the Journal's financial reporter, wrote that he tried to learn about financial markets from watching the movie, Wall Street, and reading Liar's Poker. The Wall Street Journal is a highly reliable and reputable source and this raises the question of whether Mr. Brzezinski was hired as a result of his descent in lieu of financial acumen.
The bottom line is: if you know next to nothing about Eastern Europe, and believe that wild bears roam the snow-laden streets of Moscow, then you will find this book very informative and entertaining. If not, I'd recommend other books on the subject such as Chrystia Freeland's Sale of the Century.

Good read, misleading title
I really liked Brzezinski's book, and I think you will too as long as you don't go into it expecting something along the lines of Chrystia Freeland's "Sale of the Century." Freeland is an incredible reporter and had gained amazing access to the machinations in the Kremlin. Brzezinski even pays tribute to Freeland's talents in his book.

Granted, there is a hard-earned interview with the 'wily' Anatoly Chubais, but short of brief episodes like that, this is really the story of Brzezinski himself and his fiancee (now wife) Roberta as they navigate along the shoals of the East's first brush with capitalism. So it's not really "WSJ reporter Brzezinski demonstrates his knowledge of Russian bond yield curves..." but rather "Hey, here's what was going on in my personal life while I was writing those stories."

And for me, that's a fresh take, and here's where his editors and marketers have sold him short: only about 25% of the book takes place in Moscow. The author also takes you to Vladivostok, Sakhalin, St. Petersburg, Chernobyl, Minsk, Crimea, and Poland - and that's not a complete list. In fact, I thought the writings from Vladivostok were the book's finest passages, closely followed by Chernobyl.

I think readers will be pleasantly surprised by the accessibility of this book. It is worth noting that Brzezinski's work is available in paperback, while Freeland's effort - despite being the definitive account of the period - is now out of print (hardback only) despite its contemporaneous publication date. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Unique and perceptive explanation of Japan's long recession
Having heard about the publication of this book for some time, I was excited to see it available on Amazon. And the book did not disappoint!

Werner takes an unconventional view of the causes of the recession in Japan--at least to those of us who were educated in the US and taught that the lack of US style free market capitalism was the principal cause. He suggests very convincingly that the extraordinary Japanese stock market and real-estate bubble and subsequent long-term recession were in part caused and created by certain institutions and individuals, namely the Bank of Japan, and discusses the motives of the behavior of those institutions.

The book is a great read with clear and concise explanations of difficult concepts (economics, finance, banking, central banks and financial institutions, etc.) and extensive footnoting of research, quotes and facts (even many of the footnotes are a great read!). I'm sure many will find his claims controversial but any reader will have to admit the arguments are compelling.

Whether you agree with his premise or not (I happen to agree), this book is a great read for anybody interested in Japan, economics, policy making, or even just the stock market.

My professor
As a student of Richard Werner's while he was teaching at Sophia University in Tokyo, I more than once had my eyes opened on the reality of economics and towards the end of my class, the banking sector. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in banking, credit, and the truth about the Japanese economy.

Toto pulls back the curtain on OZ and his cronies!
In "Princes of the Yen", Mr. Werner successfully makes the case that Japan's central bankers are in control of the economy and hence the country. His arguments are backed up substantial research including personal interviews.

In addition, Mr. Werner sheds light on how Japan's economic war continued long after its military war ended (Chapters 2 & 3).

Last but not least, "Princes of the Yen" provides a historical look at the development of money, credit and banking (Chapters 4 & 5).

Understandably, most of the book is devoted to the princes of the yen, and while I enjoyed Mr. Werner's treatment of Japan's central bankers, I also found his historical overview of money, credit, banking and the history of Japan's war economy to be immensely enlightening. In fact, I am still pondering the idea that money is credit, and that credit can be created out of thin air.

I strongly recommend "Princes of the Yen" to those with an open mind who have an interest in banking, money, economics and history. Rest assured that Toto won't fail to amaze you.

A new perspective to the existing literature
This book offers us an alternative perspective to the rise and fall of the Japanese economy. Supported by extensive research, the author has successfully uncovered the reasons behind the Japanese economic growth. Credit creation accounts for at least 90% of the money supply in the market. An uncheck institution such as the Bank of Japan has control over the country¡¦s credit creation and allocation. It is without a doubt that the central bank plays a major part in any country¡¦s economy. This book has also revealed a very essential question of the necessity of the current central banking system. Who has the control over the central banks? Do we really need a central bank?

This book is an excellent reading for anyone who does not want to be conformed by the standard textbook explanation. In a way, this book is probably closer to the reality than most conventional economic readings.

Lucid and eye opening, a life changing book
I was a student of economics and until reading this book I was wondering why I ever entered the disipline in the first place; after I read Princes of the Yen I finally felt that someone had given me that reason.

Princes explains the rise and fall of the Japanese economic and political system and dares to explore areas that historians and economists alike have failed to address. While almost all the information I have read on the Japanese economy focuses on the miracle growth and the recent bubble collapse, Professor Richard Werner goes even further back to WWII to uncover the uniqueness of the Japanese economy. He argues convincingly, through statistics, extensive research and personal interviews, that a purposely-designed bank centered version of capitalism has driven the Japanese economic system, and that those who control the creation and allocation of credit, namely the central bank princes, have made the ultimate decisions in Japan's postwar economic history. Thus the current problems in Japan are exposed not in the confused and varied ways that most economists tend to talk about Japan but as part of the actual credit policies and publicly stated (yet little known) goals of Japan's central bank governors.

I loved Japan but couldn't make any sense out of Japanese economics. I am thankful to Professor Werner that I finally have a clear explaination as to what really happened, and a renewed desire to pursue economics as a discipline. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Read it fast if you don't want to be behind times
This book is a beacon and a lighthouse in our transforming world of e-anything you want. Bill Gates is an optimist and it shows. I think the whole book can be reduced to a quotation by Alfred Sloan, the Chairman of General Motors : « Bedside manners are no substitute for the right diagnosis. »

Bill Gates analyzes absolutely all the consequences of the release of Information Technology in the Internet time onto the economy, society, administration, life. He does not take any precaution to sweeten or soften his message. You will follow this revolution, that is unescapable, or just plain die. When reduced to that the book is by far too long. But it is not only that.

The book studies hundreds of particular cases were the problem was confronted, solved or refused and the consequences of this acceptation to go along with modern times or of this refusal to have anything to do with such an iconoclastic approach that destroys, makes obsolete everything that was common creed in our society. Those cases are extremely well shown and described and are superbly enlightening and entertaining. Because this book is also entertaining. You will find some real pleasure in reading it.

But the book also goes beyond this. It is a book for all the CEOs and CIOs of the world. Hence it is pedagogical and didactic. It demonstrates what has to be done and it gives examples of the right solutions, and all the practical advice and even diagnosing recipes needed for any one to find their ways in the labyrinth and jungle of modern information times. The main objective then becomes to liberate thinking in business by entrusting machines with collecting and analyzing data, with the help of some human friends. When this thinking is finally liberated, business can use the speed of thought to increase its efficiency, its transformation and its progress. The general idea is that failure, slump or recession is never anything else but the inability to seize the day in these technological times.

It also, here and there, explains how Microsoft navigated through all the troubled waters of change and capitalistic success. Strange enough it makes us feel and think that the word « capitalism » itself is obsolete in global times. It is obsolete because the economy, business have to give each one member of the working team that the workers (at all levels) have to become and be for the economy to work, their total independence of thought, autonomy of decision and yet integration in the wider picture of the team. He shows marvelously that there is no business that can survive if democracy, discussion, confrontation and common objectives emerging from the aforesaid are not the very core and ethics of the economy and business. He also implies that any business has to become global to survive : global by covering the whole world ; global by envisaging the totality of a problem, product, range of products, etc ; global by the desire to dominate your field completely and totally. That leads to an understood and never expressed idea that the anti-trust regulations that are ours today are passé, old-fashioned, ineffective, even dangerous because mutilating for thought, business and the future of the world. Then competition is no longer the same thing as it used to be : the competition between several firms producing or providing the same goods or services. Competition is innovation and this can only come through the liberation of thought and through a new organization of business : a firm has to literally control its whole field of activity but including innnovation and democracy in its everyday functioning and concentrating on the core issues and activities necesary for its global role to be total, and by understanding that free business thinking will always produce the start-up that may break you if you are not one step ahead of any possible innovation. A businessperson is both a visionary prophet and a convincing guru. And keep in mind that profit, both individual and collective, is and has always been, the objective of the human race. It empowers each and all human beings with the energy to go beyond even the farthest limits and frontiers. We do not venture in hostile lands if we do not aim at getting a profit out of it. Otherwise we are forced to do it : it is slavery or the gulag.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Good book... but Bill does not want to you help out
I found this book rather interesting to read. If you would like to run your own company, or you are just interested in reading about big business... then you will be satisfied with this book. Gates (if he really wrote most of the book) does a great job of citing examples of how technology is impacting business in today's economy. It might even give you a few ideas for making your own business more efficient.

However, this book has a major down side. I purchased this book hoping that it can give me insight of where the high tech industry is headed. Gates did not do a good job of presenting this. Instead, I found a book filled with hundreds of examples of how companies integrate computers into their business. It shows how the internet helped big companies move information and expand their customer service, but it does not show what's on the road ahead.

I recommend this book because it can help you make the most out of your company using computers. However, if you are looking for the next killer application, don't expect to find it in this book.

Insightful
We found the concepts in Gates & Hemingway (2000) "Business at the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy" interesting and helpful for business planning and development. Creating a "digital nervous system" seems a lofty ideal and a little too technical and impersonal though.

We would have liked to see more business examples outside of the Microsoft examples they cited.

What we also liked about this book is that it offers a brief glimpse into the mind and thinking of one of the most successful businessman in history. For anyone interested in business/leadership biography, this is a worthwhile read.

Digital Nervous System
The digital nervous system is built using PC technologies, low cost software, and internet protocols. Specialized companies give choice in terms of chips, system software, business applications, networking, and service. COM/.Net Object technology allows the developer to use the component without having to know the inner workings, extends usefuliness through reusability, and communicates across different networks as three tiered architecture. For example, Merill Lynch presents fifty separate applications as one single interface on the desktop.

Middleware serves the purpose too make different applications and systems integrate together. Middleware has the potential to keep all data consistent between different systems. Leaps in PC performance have eliminated the need to deploy incompabile middleware applications. High end PC hardware is compability and the software is a 100 percent compabile. The homogeneous platform is the reason PCs are being accepted as servers. ERP companies are moving to PC technology realizing support for more internet user pools at lower costs. The internet protocol allows software running on PC servers to provide information analysis and business transactions.

Out of the box software provides easy to customize applications to meet business needs. Using a three tiered architecture combined with customized software makes customization more possible. Companies of all sizes have PC technology. Microsoft next generation of 64 bit operating system will give Microsoft a larger stake of Unix servers. Microsoft NT has already scaled by Unisys as a Mainframe power equivalent operating system. Microsoft and telecom technology will allow voice and data networks to pass information over fiber lines and be internet based.

Savings on infrastructure are significant. Listed companies realizing savings were: McDonalds - predicted savings of 18 percent, Dayton Hudson ($100 million and save at least that amount in operation savings), Lockheed and Martin Marietta (cut IT spending by $700 million over five years - realized in two years),

Horizonally integrated computer industry based on PC technology attracts more software development. Software developer build software components reducing the cost of business and providing a rich layer of functionality. Windows standardize operating system insulates the developer from the variablity of the hardware. Selecting PC technology safe quards your software investment and retains hardware preference.

In summary, cheap harddrives, massive amounts of memory, faster processors have reduced the cost of PC technology. Rich internet applications can be streamed to browser or client applications using internet protocols. More cities will invest in fiber optic infrastructure bring media, voice, and video to businesses and homes. Combining these two factors: cheap PC technology and standardize Internet Protocols will allow software developers to provide rich business functionality and result in "Free capitalism". We are just beginning to discover what the computer can do for us. There will be many more billionaries in the next generation.

The 1900s are dead, reshape your business to digital.
This book is a great insight to how business should work. The old methods of manual filing and hand delivering is obsolete and computers are here to stay. Infortunely the majority of companies aren't taking their digital systems to their fullest advantage, and this is the book to learn how to do it right.

Bill Gates will tell you how Microsoft consulted & built digital systems for various big name companies as well as the system they use internally. This book doesn't get technical but at the same time, it doesn't dable in too much "could have, should have, would have" as it sticks with actual impilimented systems.

Any programmer/developer that wants to build or improve a companies intranet, or managers that want to mold their IT deptarment into something more productive than merely fixing printer problems and supporting legacy systems should read this as it will clue you in to what IT needs to do in today's world.

This book also paves the way to where we are now as you can see the ideas expressed in this book have been executed in .NET and in the .NET related commercials Microsoft has created. This is the future, embrace it or be left behind. ... Read more

Book Description

In May 2004, eight former Eastern Bloc countries joined the European Union: the three Baltic republics, Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak republics, and Slovenia.

What is involved in "accession"? How have accession dynamics affected and been affected by the domestic politics of candidate countries and their adoption of EU rules? In this carefully designed volume of original essays, the editors have brought together a group of scholars with firsthand research experience in the new member-states of Central and Eastern Europe. Framed by opening and concluding chapters by Frank Schimmelfennig and Ulrich Sedelmeier that outline several aspects of preparation for accession, the empirical case studies discuss a variety of topics, including democracy and human rights, the reform of state administrations and economic, social, and environmental policies. This book demonstrates the importance of the credibility and the costs of accession conditionality for the adoption of EU rules in Central and Eastern Europe. ... Read more

Book Description

A real-life thriller about the corporate takeover of our most basic resource.

In a shocking exposé, Blue Gold shows why, as the vice president of the World Bank has pronounced, "The wars of the next century will be about water."

Increasingly, transnational corporations are plotting to control the world's dwindling water supply. In England and France, where water has already been privatized, rates have soared and water shortages have been severe. The major bottled-water companies—Perrier, Evian, Naya, and now Coca-Cola and PepsiCo—head one of the fastest growing and least regulated industries, buying up fresh water rights and drying up crucial reserves. Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, two of the most active opponents to this trend, show how the corporate giants act in their own interest and how, contrary to received wisdom, water flows uphill to the wealthy who can afford it.

The consumption of water doubles every twenty years—more than twice the rate of the increase in human population. Blue Goldcaptures in striking detail the forces behind the depletion of the world's fresh water, and the human and ecological impacts it entails. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

SOCIALIST VIEW OF WATER
Blue Gold is extremely easy reading replete with abundant data and reasons why private corporations should not be allowed to provide public services. While there is no doubt that private enterprise has failed in some cases and has been guilty of unseemly business practices, the authors completely ignore the dismal failure and inability of government to develop and manage water supplies. Santa Fe, New Mexico, for example, convinced their citizens that the Sangre de Cristo water company was poorly run and the water was too expensive. Since they took it over, service has been downhill and costs have been uphill. Readers are urged to use google to determine the Santa Fe water woes. The book provides a specious look at the Walkerton, Ontario affair, a publicly run water system, by saying the E. Coli outbreak was the fault of a private laboratory because they only reported what the government required. Other examples of poorly run public systems are too numerous to mention including Dar es Salam, Nairobi, Cochabamba and many others.

The book is a pleasant and informative read but must be read with the understanding that the authors are completely opposed to any private involvement in the production and distribution of water. They make the mistake of equating the operation of a water system with the ownership of the resource. They make the mistake or would like the reader to believe that the cost of water is actually the cost of water. It is not. When we refer to the cost of water it is really the annualized amortation of the capital infrastructure cost and the annual operation and maintenance cost. There are very few situations where the water is sold as a resources, San Diego, El Paso, and San Antonio being a few recent examples. So to say water is like oil is misdirection.

The authors also would lead readers to believe that bottled water is bad. In actual fact, bottling companies are held to the same standard as municipal systems for water quality.

The authors are strongly opposed to the bulk water export from Canada or from anywhere else. Those who propose such schemes could not make their proposals unless there were an uneven distribution of water on earth and their proposals are sometimes received favorably by governments such as Israel in their proposal to temporarily import 50 million cubic meters for 10 years until their desalination plants are up and running.

Pirating our Water Supply
Blue Gold's a book to let you know more about where your water in America is going. Can we stop this theft of our most valuable resource. A study reports huge corporations seeking control of the world's water supply. These involve giant European corporations in collaboration with the World Bank. Together increasingly taking control of public water supplies with tragic results. a report 'The Water Barons' says that by 2002 private water companies were operating in 56 countries and 2 territories. This rose from a dozen in 1990. Companies that are expanding control are Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux and Vivendi Environment of France, Thomas Water by RWEAG of Germany, Suar of France and United Utilities of England working with Bechtel Co. of the United States. All of these have worked closely with the World Bank. They lobby aggressively for legislation and trade laws to require cities to privatize their water. A recent update is that these companies continue in their acquisition to control water companies in the Northeastern U.S. region.

In major cities around the world, they persuade governments to sign long-term contracts with major private water companies. The concern, is that a handful of private companies could soon control a tremendous bulk of the world's most vital resource. Are water barons providing a good product? One certain city in the U.S. cancelled it's water contract because of complaints of poor service and unsanitary water conditions. In other countries and poorer countries were unable to pay huge water bills were forced to drink from disease-ridden lakes and streams resulting the spread of deadly epidemic outbreaks such as chlorea. In regions of the U.S. where ground water isn't enough to support domestic and fire protection water needs. It's necessary to develop alternative sources of water. The water crisis is worldwide. Many countries are facing a severe shortage. Some will run out of water by the year 2011. Can we find alternative ways to conserve our greatest resource. And, in the meantime can we stop the railroading of public water to greedy giant corporate barons. This book is a eye-opener. Another good reading on this subject is, 'Cadillac Desert.'

Addresses Threats to Our Most Valuable Global Resource
This was a great book that highlights the current threats to our global water supply. This book was particularly thorough in the analysis of the privatization of water resources. It explains the international institutions that prop up global water companies. I was very impressed with the extensive research that the authors must have put into this book - they used many examples of water issues from around the world. This book is a great introductory book for someone interested in becoming more knowledgable in water issues. It is also a great book for the general public to help them to understand more about a resource they probably take for granted. Don't buy bottled water! It is environmentally wasteful of resources and economically unjustifiable. It contributes funds to private companies and helps to support global water corporations!

Threats to Blue Gold
There are not many surprises in BLUE GOLD. The primary message of Maud Barlow and Tony Clarke's book echoes the Blue Planet Project, a global campaign to assert the universal right to water, of which Barlow is one of the international leaders. It is the 'battle against the corporate world' - here in particular the 'theft of the world's water'. Of course, it is not so much a 'theft' of water - the world's water supply has been more or less stable since the beginning of time - rather the increasing control by a small group of multinationals over the water's allocation to the peoples of this planet.

Consequently, the strength of the book is in its coverage of the multi-national corporations, the 'Global Water Lords', and the exposure of their expanding power over water delivery and processing systems around the globe. Initiatives to privatize water delivery at a national level probably started with Napoleon III in France in the middle of the 19th century. At that time, governments were usually in charge of water management. Since then privatization has spread from France to the rest of the world. Today, Barlow and Clarke maintain, some 10 corporate players dominate the global water industry. Two French companies hold the lion's share. Most of these major players are multi-utility providers, which increase their hold on the water resources of countries and regions. Once a government opens a door to privatization of any of the water related services, such as water delivery or waste management, it abandons its right to take back control at any stage even if water user groups complain about bad or no service or the company does not live up to the contract. The rules and regulations of the WTO see to that, the authors claim. Although the percentage of national water systems controlled by multi-national corporations at the present time is small, Barlow and Clarke want to warn of the trend and its implication.

Examples are described where things have gone wrong: poor quality of project implementation resulted in water pollution and environmental damage, and/or communities and local business lost the water supply altogether. In these instances corporate water suppliers maintained their profit margin through cutting back in previously promised investments and/or increasing consumer rates. The latter was implemented without any regard to the capacity of the poor to pay. As a result, they could be cut off from the service.

Barlow and Clarke's analysis of the progression of the global water crisis and its origins is less satisfactory. A reader unfamiliar with complex topic of water might find the tour d'horizon overwhelming. The review of the diversity of root causes at local, national and regional levels is superficial and tends to present generalizations where concrete examples would have been more meaningful. The tendency to paint a black and white picture with big business as the main villain sidelines other major reasons for water crises around the world. Agriculture is only mentioned in passing, although some 70% of all water resources are used by agriculture: agribusiness and millions of small-scale and mid-size farmers across industrialized and developing countries. Implementing water conservation methods (through improved irrigation, drought tolerant crops, etc) could lead to substantial water resource savings.

Recent initiatives against global corporate water control highlighted in the section 'Fightback' are selective, emphasizing well-known international as well as North American cases. The approach is usually confrontational with clearly identified opposing sides. Examples of constructive multi-stakeholder collaboration efforts in many parts of the world which attempt to tackle water scarcity are not given enough recognition.
The 'Way Forward' spells out fundamental principles and recommends a series of standards that should be included in any agreement of public-private partnerships in the water delivery sphere. These include the involvement of water users in the planning of the systems, local stewardship and watershed protection, strengthen water preservation and reclaiming of polluted water systems. Underlying all these standards is the recognition of water as an essential part of life and the right of all beings to water whatever their social or economic status. A call for capacity building and education of consumers, communities, government officials and private sector actors at all levels should be added.

BLUE GOLD is an easy read, maybe for some too easy considering the seriousness of the topic. It covers very important ground, often in an overview fashion that tends to generalize and take a black and white stand. Although it is obvious that the authors did comprehensive research in preparation of the book, it shows a certain lack of thoroughness by not providing citation references (footnotes), adequate source listings and a bibliography or reading list.

Blue Gold
Compared with Marc Reisner's Cadillac Desert or Marq de Villiers Water I found Blue Gold to be relatively poorly researched, presenting only the authors' point-of-view rather than a thoughtful analysis of the world water situation. The authors failed to convince me that "public" (government) control of water distribution would be better than private control; after all, the government in the U.S. has a very poor record of equitable distribution, especially through Bureau of Reclamation projects. A private distribution system modeled after our natural gas distribution system, with a regulatory board setting prices and two-tier pricing (cheap baseline rates plus higher rates for use above baseline amounts) could perhaps work, but was not discussed by the authors.
I think, also, that the editing was somewhat poor: Does California factory-farm runoff really leak into the Ogallala aquifer (p. 34)? Did the FBI really order reservoir gates closed in Klamath Falls (p.65)?
Overall, I think better books are available that discuss the water issue in a less biased manner. ... Read more

Book Description

Among the Maya of Xculoc, an isolated farming village in the lowland forests of the Yucatn peninsula, children contribute to household production in considerable ways. Thus this village, the subject of anthropologist Karen Kramer's study, affords a remarkable opportunity for understanding the economics of childhood in a pre-modern agricultural setting.

Drawing on a range of theoretical perspectives and extensive data gathered over many years, Kramer interprets the form, value, and consequences of children's labor in this maize-based culture. She looks directly at family size and birth spacing as they figure in the economics of families; and she considers the timing of children's economic contributions and their role in underwriting the cost of large families. Kramer's findings--in particular, that the children of Xculoc begin to produce more than they consume long before they marry and leave home--have a number of interesting implications for the study of family reproductive decisions and parent-offspring conflict, and for debates within anthropology over children's contributions in hunter/gatherer versus agricultural societies.

With its theoretical breadth, and its detail on crop yields, reproductive histories, diet, work scheduling, and agricultural production, this book sets a new standard for measuring and interpreting child productivity in a subsistence farming community.

Book Description

How can Cuba address the challenges of economic development and transformation that have bedeviled so many Latin American and Eastern European countries? What are the universally common macroeconomic and societal challenges it faces and the specific peculiarities that have emerged after a decade-long transformation of its economy? For the Cuban and American social scientists and policy experts writing in this timely and provocative volume, the answer lies in examining Cuba's development trajectory by delving into issues ranging from the political economy of reform to their impact on specific sectors including export development, foreign direct investment, and U.S.-Cuba trade. Moreover, the volume also draws attention to the intersection between economic reform and societal dynamics by exploring changes in household consumption, socio-economic mobility, as well as remittances and their effects, while remaining steadfast in its focus on their policy implications for Cuba's future.

Book Description

"Never in history has there been a black market tamed from the supply side. From Prohibition to prostitution, from gambling to recreational drugs, the story is the same. Supply-side controls act to encourage production and increase profits. At best a few intermediaries get knocked out of business. But as long as demand persists, the market is served more or less as before. In the meantime, failure to ‘win the war’ [against crime] becomes a pretext for increasing police budgets, expanding law enforcement powers, and pouring more money into the voracious maw of the prison-industrial complex."—from the Introduction

R. T. Naylor specializes in the study of smuggling, black markets, and international financial crime. Wages of Crime takes the reader into the shadowy underworld of modern criminal business—arms trafficking, gold smuggling, money laundering, and terrorist financing. Naylor dissects the schemes by which illegal entrepreneurs disguise their acts, manage their take, and eventually enjoy the loot. The author asserts that much of what police, press, politicians, and the public understand about international crime is based on myth and misrepresentation.

Wages of Crime also outlines Naylor’s claim that some of the most popular modern law-enforcement fads are inefficient or useless and can do massive damage in eroding civil liberties. In the wake of recent tragedies, Naylor’s criticisms of contemporary anticrime policies and the confounding of criminal and national security issues have a sharper resonance. ... Read more

Book Description

The essays included here are the "best sellers" of American economic history, the articles and chapters that most frequently appear on the syllabi of American economic history courses. Introductions add context, provide critical questions about the arguments and evidence, indicate important subsequent works, and suggest additional readings.Also included are a glossary and an appendix that provide a clear, simple introduction to regression analysis, necessary for reading the increasingly technical "cliometric" articles in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Wealth ownership in the United States has long been concentrated in the hands of a small minority of the population. Because of scarce data on wealth ownership, the nature of wealth ownership distribution and knowledge about wealth inequality has received relatively little attention from social scientists. Keister synthesizes theory and data from various sources to present a detailed picture of household wealth distribution from 1962-1995.Utilizing existing survey data and a unique simulation model, the author isolates and examines processes that create this distribution, paying particular attention to the wealth ownership and accumulation of top wealth holders, those who control the bulk of household wealth. The results underscore the importance of wealth as an indicator of well-being, identify important causes of wealth inequality, and propose methods of lessening the recent increase in the concentration of wealth. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Examining Wealth with the Aid of Statistical Models
"Wealth in America" is a fascinating book, examining not only the state of wealth as it stands presently, but also looking at trends over time. The first chapter looks at what wealth is, how it has been studied to date, and then presents how the rest of the book is structured. The second chapter looks at the various studies available on wealth, the issues that arise with wealth measurement, and the pros and cons of the models that the author will use throughout the book. It is these simulation models that render this book unique, allowing the author to consider various trends and examine different possibilities that could otherwise only be speculated about.

For the general reader, things get interesting in chapter three: Here we take a look at who owns how much, in what categories, as well as different general trends over time and up and down the wealth scale. Chapter four focuses on the wealth of the very rich: the composition of their wealth and liabilities, the characteristics of wealthy households, and the effect that race has on wealth accumulation. Chapter five looks at the middle class and the poor. The bar graph on page 125 really brings home how little of the assets the bottom 90% of the population controls versus the top ten percent. Chapter six looks at how baby boomers have fared in comparison to their parents and projects how they may do in their coming retirement years. Chapter seven looks at the role of stock market and real estate fluctuations on wealth holdings, as well as the impact that government policies can have. Chapter eight focuses on the impact that age, race, education and other life events have on wealth accumulation and ownership. Chapter nine examines the prospects for moving from one segment of wealth ownership to a greater or lesser one. The final chapter then wraps up with some general conclusions.

Through out the book, the author is explicit about her use of simulation models to make projections as to where different trends might take us. However, when possible, the author is also very careful to also compare her models against actual data, so that it is clear that the discrepancies are minor. I would have liked to have seen a greater breakdown of the assets and liabilities of the middle class and poor, as well a greater examination of their saving and accumulation behavior (or lack of), but perhaps this is material for another book.

This book is not easy reading, but for someone who is willing to put in a little effort, this book contains a treasure trove of information on wealth that is not readily found elsewhere. I would certainly recommend it to someone with an